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Be Careful When Discussing Protected Health Information (PHI) in Public Areas

Communicating PHI verbally is part of your job and essential in providing quality and timely health care.  However, be especially careful when discussing PHI in public areas - in particular:

• Do NOT discuss PHI in cafeterias, elevators, and on shuttle buses.
  

• Go to consultation rooms to relay PHI when other individuals are present (e.g. surgery waiting rooms).

• Lower your voice when discussing PHI at the nurses' station, in semi-private rooms, and on house phones.

• Close doors or pull curtains when caring for patients or discussing their health.
  

• When possible, walk over to a patient instead of calling out his/her name.

Treat a patient's health information as if it were your own.

It is your job to protect our patients' privacy and confidentiality. They expect it.

When performing your job, remember to be careful of
what you say, where you say it, & to whom you say it.

HIPAA Program Office
The University of Chicago Medical Center | 5841 South Maryland Avenue | Chicago, IL 60637
HPOwebmaster@bsd.uchicago.edu